Projet #1096

"History of plants" - Mona Caron

The Swiss artist Mona Caron drew inspiration from the book's cover "Histoire des plantes qui naissent aux environs de Paris, avec leur usage dans la médecine" published in 1725. This book was enriched by the famous botanist Bernard de Jussieu who gave his name to the district.

Through her fresco "History of Plants", the artist famous for her frescoes in which she uses plants as a metaphor for human condition as well as to convey an inclusive message, depicts the manuscript of Bernard de Jussieu embellished with three international plants, each recognized for their medicinal properties, the artist pays tribute to the neighborhood's inhabitants. Orchid, aloe and thistle bloom before their eyes, taking roots in the continents represented at the bottom of the fresco, the origin of everything, in homage to the diversity of the inhabitants and passers-by's origins as well as to the current society in which all intermingle to form a multicultural society, becoming even richer thanks to these crossings: the artist thus questions the passer-by about the history of those who are born in the surroundings of Paris.

The artist and ecology activist had realized this vibrant colored fresco in 20 days, using only earthly pigments for her paint.

Constructed in the 1960s, the Bernard de Jussieu neighborhood has had its housing estate renovated by a group orchestrated by Eiffage Construction (Ithaques, Vincent Lavergne Architecture & Urbanisme and BETOM Ingénierie), in collaboration with the landlord Versailles Habitat and the city of Versailles. This thermal rehabilitation programme's aim is to improve the daily life of its inhabitants.